Mt Pleasant News
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Looking at the big picture

Aug 29, 2014

To the editor:

I must admit I have not followed the superintendent issues at Mt. Pleasant Community School District as closely as I should have or claim to know all the issues. I do know in the business world providing a false resume is grounds by itself for termination.

A leader is supposed to excite, inspire and fuel passion. How can our children get the best efforts of our teachers and staff if they are intimidated and dread to go to work or decide to take their abilities elsewhere?

From my perspective, it doesn’t matter whether the teachers and staff have valid reason, or the superintendent is just being picked on due to being the new guy looking to make change. What is apparent is the relationship is irreparable. We must all look at the big picture. Regardless of which side you come down, Mr. Wells is not a good fit for the Mt. Pleasant Community School District and the school board’s insistence to stand behind “its guy” only causes distrust of the board and further damages the district.

At the end of the 2013-2014 school year, the school district and Mr. Wells had the opportunity to cut ties on their terms to allow everyone to save face. Instead, the board defiantly even considered extending his contract. This refusal to address issues or even comprehend the potential long-term damage flies in the face of every resident of the MPCSD.

For whatever reason, the board’s choice has not worked out and trying to place the blame will not resolve the issue. The current situation requires the board to terminate Mr. Wells’s employment and hire a qualified individual that the teachers and staff can work with. This action is necessary to retain the quality teachers and staff we currently have while enhancing the district’s ability to attract necessary replacements in the future.

Word of this chaotic situation continues to spread with each day. Regardless of whether staff has quit to avoid the current situation, retired or terminated their employment for other reasons, the fact is the MPCSD will need to hire staff beginning in the summer of 2015. In all likelihood, the majority of these necessary replacements will be from a pool of prospects that have not been hired elsewhere.

The best teachers take the best jobs. With the negativity surrounding the MPCSD, why would anyone make our district their first choice? One cannot guarantee this will happen, but without top-notch teachers, one can guarantee the lowering of the quality of education in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District.

With the 2013 Old Threshers Reunion on the near horizon, memories are prompted and stories repeated. This is an Old Threshers’ memory/story sworn to be true by “those who were there.”

At that time, food tents, where the Wright Pavilion now stands, served two full meals each day and were placed in a row. Their order was standards — Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.

That year a man, who had recently moved to Mt. Pleasant, knew very few people, had even more recently joined the Methodist congregation and answered its call for tent volunteers. Jumping in, he reported for duty bright and early, eager to be of service.

Warmly welcomed, he spent the day working hard and relishing the high spirits and camaraderie of his fellow workers. It was not until the end of the day that it was discovered that he had spent the day working in the Catholic tent rather than the Methodist. A good laugh was had by all.

The following day he waved to his new Catholic friends from the Methodist tent as he made new Methodist friends. Of course, they good naturedly waved back. Some say that at the end of the day they gathered at the rear of the tents for more fellowship and even a bit of forbidden brew.

I pass this story along as it were told to me. The year it had happened I was much too busy in the Catholic Church kitchen to verify details.

I needed to prepare the food that hopefully would outshine the Methodist, Presbyterian and other offerings. Our meatloaf never did outshine the Methodist offering. But, of course, they couldn’t complete with our Friday fish.